Owners refused payouts after pets are put down without written permission

New clause: Pet owners are increasingly required to have written permission to put down their animal

Pet owners who have to go through the heartbreak of having their beloved pooch put down are being refused payouts because they failed to get the green light from their insurers.

The independent Financial Ombudsman Service has warned that insurers are increasingly writing clauses into policies instructing owners of larger and more valuable animals that they require written permission to put down their animal.

Owners can still have their pet put to sleep in an emergency, but afterwards the insurer retains the right not to pay out if it judges the animal could have received alternative treatment.

The trend came to light after a surge
in complaints to the ombudsman. Campaigners fear that animals may be
left to suffer while insurers and policyholders wrangle over cover.

In one case, an owner whose pony was
put to sleep because it was diagnosed with a degenerative joint
disorder was denied a payout. The insurance company claimed he had failed to obtain written permission beforehand.

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There were 428 complaints about pet insurance at the start of the year — compared to 279 at the same time in 2011.

A spokesman for the ombudsman said
this had been driven by insurers pulling out of the market, denying
claims on the basis of a pet’s medical history or because the pet owner
has made a claim too quickly.

Last year, Lloyds pulled out from offering pet insurance, leaving tens of thousands of pet owners high and dry.

However, it later performed a U-turn
following widespread protests from policyholders who had bought
life-long cover for their animals and were unable to find alternative
cover.

The ombudsman finds in favour of the pet owner in six out of ten cases.